According to the Afghan Diaspora Network, China aimed to fill the power vacuum caused by the United States leaving Afghanistan and the Taliban taking control of the nation in 2021 by making significant investments there. However, the Taliban knew China’s true intentions.
China wanted to establish a presence in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s rule. The Taliban’s strict view of Islam and China’s violence and genocide of Uyghur Muslims run counter to one another.
The report added that China hosted several regional formats on Afghanistan to project its significance on this front. These efforts primarily protected China’s security and economic and geopolitical interests in Afghanistan.
In addition, Beijing encouraged restricted bilateral trade and state-owned Chinese businesses to discuss restarting their projects with Taliban leaders. The report also mentioned that Beijing supported Afghanistan because it provided a safe place for militants who could operate from camps along the Afghan border and enter China through the narrow passes along their shared border.
The report further claims that Chinese nationals who were caught smuggling were seriously punishment and that on January 23 of this year, the Taliban in Jalalabad detained five men, among them two Chinese nationals, for their role in the transportation of an estimated 1,000 metric tonnes of lithium-containing rocks from Afghanistan to China through Pakistan.
According to a military officer who served with the British forces in Afghanistan and lived in the Afghan Diaspora Network report SS Ahmad, China and Pakistan will “enrich themselves by plundering” Afghanistan when the Taliban gain control.